Safety device for dry-cleaning establishments or the like



Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,836

H. SCHLESINGER SAFETY DEVICE FOR DRY CLEANING ESTABLISHMENTS OR THE LIKE Filed NQV. 17, 1924 fi 40 I 4/ 42 45 4/ c? I I I e9 i 27 44 27 i 59 'E\ 1 Z6 as 55 5 i illustrated in' *the *accompanying drawings,

Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

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SAFETY nnvicnron D Y- LEAN'ING nsrniatrsnirnivrs 'on'rrin Linn? Application filed'Novmber'W; 1924. swarm; 750,507.

' The object ofmy invention is to provide a safety device adapted to be used in a dry 7 cleaning establishment'o'r in [plants wherein explosive fluidsare-used; Still a further object is to provide parts that will automatically operate by steam pressure when in fire caused by anexplosion occurs within a tumbleror a' wa'shing ma chine; used in eleaning plants, whereby the steam" will be} ejected into I the machine a, and the door forthe machine automatically closedli Still a further obiect-isto'provide as upplyfpipe for live steam arranged with'a piston member normally held inoperative untihthe fusible link is destroyed atwhich time the piston operates for moving the door I or bottom'edge of the pipe18. The funnel- 1 of'the washing machine toclosed position in'cas'eit is blown open at'the'time an explosion or fire takes place; v 3 Withthese and other objects in view, my invention consists in the 1 construction, ar

'rangementyand' combination of the various A claims, and illustrated intheaooompanying' parts of "my safety device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as herein' after more fully settforth, pointed ou'tin my drawingsfln which:

I *Figure 1 isfa -frontview. of myim'proved safety device, and V r v j Figure 2 is asectional view takenfor'i the line 22 of Figure 1 showing the deviceinina-chine;

"cylindrical type, whi'chis provided with a door I Opening 1 nd a h nged door membe 12tl'1ere'for. a .2 a

In the drawings, 1 have shown the docs fmemberin raisedposition V 'Recei'ved wlthin the washing machine is a tumbler 13 in which the clothe's to be explosions or fires ekeplac'e'f within'. the

washing machine due to the fact thatgasd line and such other fiuid sfare used-in dry cleaning establishments. i

"I "In order top ro'mptly extinguish "the fire in case one occurs'and to'close the door of each other-by a bypass pipe 17. 1 mThefitting-lG is c onnec'tedto' a pipe-I8 alled upon") a cleaning plant washing the fire. provide the mechanism 'nowdescribe in detail. I

that r in A supplypipe H is'in communication-with a steam boiler (not-shown) which pipe is connected to a four-way fitting 15, A 'T fitway fitting 15 and' the fitting 15 and; fitting 16 are-"brought into comlmunication -with' screw-threaded to an inverted funnel-shaped member 19.5 A ValveJseatI ZO is screwe; threaded into the neck'otthefunnel-shaped member 19 and has a 'seat' thereon adapted to have avalve member 21 rest therea'gainst; The valve seat abuts againstthe lower shaped member :19 is extended into'the'wash- 7 mg machinethroughthe body port-ion thereo'l and 1s retainedin positionby a collar 22 which coaots withthe screw-threadedneck V on the funnel-shaped member-19.-' The neck 2-3 is bothi'interiorly and enteriorly A pipe 24- is screw threaded intoi'ahub I on a. cylinder 26., Theeynnder 26' @1130 pipe '24' a'nd the-interior of the cylinder V A by -pass orpassageway '28 is formedi'n "There" is nocommunication between the :35 fi the cylinder 26.: so th'atlive steam fr'om the' pipe ll maypass therein; i v 1 i':1?he'cylinder 26 is in 'communicationwith thepassa,geway:28 as at 2 9i A' piston 30 is I and is mounted upona piston rod 31. w

"" .Access into the interionof th-e'cylinder 26 v berhadth'rough the end plug- 32; The

slidablymounted within-the; {cylinder 26 cylinder 26 isprovided-with 'a-discharge port l l 33, the purpose of which will'be hereinafter more fully setforth'.

' The piston rod 31 has one end project" throughthe end wall of the cylinder 26and d v i has a g'r-oove 'coll'ari '34 thereonwhicheco acts.

rqitha locking pawas 'wilhhereinafter be? more fully 'setforth. The'vlockingipawl is capableot pivotalgmovement up'on' the I :pivotj'member 36 and isloosely connected to p l-a centroid-M 37 by meansof a slot' and iping If connection 38, all ofwhich'are clearlyishown' in Figure 2 of the drawings f .Thecylindenflti has-a supportlngfile thereon upon which ismountedii'and rigidly fixed a small cylinder 40. The cylinder 40 is in communication with the pipe line 14 by means of a small pipe 41 screw-threaded at one end into the four-way fitting 15, and at its other end is "in communication with 'a passageway 42.

The control rod 37 extends into the cylinder 40 and has a piston 43 screwed to itsv upper end above the passageway '42. V stuffing or packing nut 44 extends around the-control fro'dr37 for forming asteamstight joint.

The lower end of the control :rod 37 is iscrew-threadedand has a :head 45 :mounted thereon which ispositioned within-'the washing machine itself.

A sleeve r46 extends into the washing :machine and it isin this sleeve that the control rod 37 is capable :of its vertical movement. The sleeve '46 :is retained in position by a collar 47 "coacting -iwi -th the screw-threads on the-sleeve 46.

ceived a fusible iwasheror the like 52. The

washer 52- coacts-withthe head 45 on the control rod 37. 'Therospening 51 in the lever 49Visof greater diameter than the diameter of the head 45 so as to permit the lever 49 :to he'dropped'downwardly and ithe control rod 37 to 'beimoved upwardly when the fusible washer-52 is'destroyed. It will be noted that there is a short distancebetwe'en the head 45 ;and the lower edge of the sleeve "46 and it is this distance :that

:the control rod "37 :moves upwardly. The control rod 37 islmove'd upwardly by the steam passing through the :pipe41, through rthe port 42i:nto the =-cylinder 40. The fusi- -ble-ilink :is'of sufli'cientstr'ength to resist the "steam pressure pushing the piston 43 up- 7 wardly within the :cylinder 40.

' The outer 'endof the piston rod is formed with a head 53 :around which "extends a rubber bumper member 54 which strikes against the :door 12.

Having described the'iemhodiment-of my invention, I will now describe the-operation 'ther e'of. f f a V The supply line "of live steam is always pressing again'st-athe valve member .21 due to the iact that the steam passes-through the pipe *14,through:the pipe 17 into the pipe 18. Tlre .steam is retained in the pipe by the ."valve anember21 and the lever 49 holding the valve 'I nem'ber .21 in :its operative or closed position." The control rod -371is held in the position ishown in Figure v2 of the drawings by the ito be discharged the-rethro-u'gh when the pieconnection of its lower :endwith the lever 49 through the association of the 'fusible link 52. g The piston is held .inits inoperative position by the pawl connecting with the grooved collar 34; as clearly shown in Fig- -ure 2,of-.the drawings. V r w I 'WVhenfan' explosion or 'fire 'takes place, "then V-thefnsihle linker washer is eliminated and destroyed and the valvev member 21 drops :down due :to the tact that the lever 49 isrno longersu-pported, a-t-which time steam will pass into the inverted funnel 119 and be discharged into the washingmachineild The releasing of theicont-rol -rod 37 from :the l-ever' 49 vwill permit the steam passing through the pipe/41 into the ;cylinder to .push the piston 43 upwardly thereby carrying with it the oOn-trolErOd S'Z. The control rod '37 moving "upwardly will in 'It'urn cause the-locking pawl 35 (to beara-ised upwardly where it will disengage from the grooved. .collar 314,:thereby releasing the :means that i-h olds ih'e piston 30 inoperative .in the cylinder '26. i I I T The "steam passing into the cylinder 26 will force the piston 30 to one :limit of its movement -at whi'ch time the bumper 5-4 will strike the door 112 terse-losing it, in case the door is open. i The discharge {port 33 in communication with the cylinder 26 perm-its (the air within the cylinder on ene--'-side of the piston 30' ton is moved-. y

,Lhave shown a springi'55 upon the piston rod 31 against which the piston :30 abuts when it moves to the position where the piston rod 81 operates for closingrathe door 12. i w v i Itanay be here mentioned that theventire eper-ation of th'edoor closing mechanism, the releasing of the steam into the machine 10, and the movement of the com trol red :37 are all held in inoperatiye posi- 310 :t'lOl'l by-the fusiblewasher #52.

p The advantages ofmy structure reside in the fact :that I have a positive automatic means ior insuring-the; discharge o-f-:live' steam unto "the various, machines in .a vdry cleaning establishment or the like in :casesa firetakesplace. I 7

Some changes may be "made in thetar-f rangement and construction iof the various parts ofimy safety device without-departing from *the essential features and purposes eOIf my .inven-tiomand it is myintention toco'ver by my claims,- any modified forms ef, structure or use of.mechanicalequivalents, which may he reasonably included within their P Iclaim asvmy invention: 1 i 1. In a device of the class described,

I adapted to he used in combination with a.

device comprising a supply line of live steam, means for normally retaining the steam within the supply line, a fusible ele ment forming a part of said last means, a control rod coacting with said fusible element and means operable by the live steam for moving said control rodupon the destruction of the fusible element, and means rendered operative when the control rod is moved for closing the door of the washing machine. 7 V I 2. In a device of the class described,

adapted to be used in combination with a;

rendered operative when the control rod is moved for closing the door of the washing machine, said last means being operated by the live steam.

3.'In a device of the class adapted to-be used in combination with a washing machine having a door, a safety device comprising a supply line of live steam, means for normally retaining the steam within the supply line, a fusible element forming a part of said last means, a control rod coacting with said fusible element and means operable by the live steam for moving said control rod uponthe dee struction of the fusible, element, a piston rod 7 having a loose connection with said control described,

rod for retaining the piston rod at onelimit of its movement against the action of the steam pressure, said loose connect-ion being rendered inoperative upon the movement of I said control rod as and for the purposes stated.

'4. In a device of the class described, adapted to be used in combination'with a 'washing machine having a door, a safety device comprising a supply line of live steam, means, for normally retaining the steam within the .supply line, a'fusible element forming a part of said last means, a

door closing member constrained to move.

in a direction to contact with the door when open and thereby close the same, means for restraining said door closing member against such movement, said last means being released upon the destruction of the fusible element.

5. A safety device for dry cleaning establishments .in combination with a washing mach ne having a door 'COIIIPI'lSlIlg steam,

piping secured to and communicating with the interior of thewashing machine, whereby; steam therefrom may be discharged into the machine, a valve for controlling said steam, a fusible link for causingsald valve to remain closed, a door closing arm mounted on said piping constrained to move .in a direction to contact with the door when.

open and thereby close the same, means for restraining said arm against such movement, said means being released and the valve opened upon the destruction of said fusible link.

Des Moines,j [owa, October- 22, 1924.

1 HARRY SCHLESINGER. 

